The present invention relates generally to fastener driving tools such as combustion powered tools, also known as combustion nailers, pneumatic tools, cordless framing tools and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in fastener magazines used with such tools.
Such tools typically have a housing substantially enclosing a power source, such as combustion, pneumatic, electric or powder, a trigger mechanism and a magazine storing a supply of fasteners for sequential driving. The power source includes a reciprocating driver blade which separates a forwardmost fastener from the magazine and drives it through a nosepiece into the workpiece. The nosepiece is also the conventional attachment point for the magazine and defines the entryway for fasteners from the magazine into a fastener passage where impact with the driver blade occurs as well as subsequent transport into the workpiece. Exemplary tools are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,483,473; 4,522,162; 6,145,724; and 6,679,414, all of which are incorporated by reference.
Conventional fastener driving tools are provided with fastener magazines having a box or strip configuration in which the fasteners are linearly arranged and fed to a nosepiece from which they are driven into the workpiece. A spring-loaded or otherwise biased follower urges the fasteners toward the nosepiece. Reloading occurs at the rear of the tool opposite the nosepiece. Other fastener driving tools are provided with coil magazines in which bands or strips of fasteners are arranged in a coil rather than in a linear arrangement. Examples of such magazines are disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0034377 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,920.
There has been an interest in the art of providing higher capacity fastener tool magazines. Typically, such magazines, also referred to as box magazines, have been constructed so that the fasteners are arranged side-by-side to increase fastener capacity. Examples of such magazines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,626,274; 3,266,697; 3,437,249; 3,504,840; 4,784,306 and 5,038,993.
Conventional large capacity box magazines are relatively compact, and when long nails are employed, are relatively efficient in their use of space, since the magazine is dimensioned to accommodate the length of the fastener. However, when short nails are preferred and are used, as is typical, in the same, relatively tall magazine, the result is an inefficient use of magazine space, as well as tool space.